The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder (ADF) for use with an electrophotographic copier, digital copier or similar image recorder for selectively feeding ordinary documents in the form of separate sheets and a continuous document in the form of computer form (CF) paper.
An ADF is extensively used with the above-stated kind of image recorder for automatically feeding a document to a glass platen of the image recorder, then stopping it on the glass platen, and then discharging it after an image printed thereon has been scanned. An ADF having a capability for transporting a document in the form of CF paper or similar elongate paper to the glass platen in addition to ordinary documents has been proposed, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-72455 by way of example. In general, CF paper or similar document has a plurality of pages printed side by side thereon. A drawback with a prior art ADF having such a capability is that the document feed control cannot be readily implemented for each of different kinds of documents. Moreover, it is difficult to accurately position a document in a predetermined position of a glass platen for imagewise exposure. Especially, sequentially locating consecutive pages provided on CF paper in the particular position on the platen is extremely difficult.